When Ira is sleepy, he pulls his hair with his right hand and sucks his thumb. He has sucked his thumb ever since the day he was born and I would wager that he sucked his thumb in utero as well!

And I'm obsessed with Ira's hair and refuse to cut it (even though it could use a trim) because of this... Fresh out of the tub and a little bit of curl. Really, really hoping Ira has curly hair like Conor one day!

I've found that writing about Ira's birthday is something I've procrastinated; as though if I don't write about it then it never happened and he's still a wee baby. I have to say that the babyhood of Ira and E have flown by faster than my daughters' first years. It's likely because the first years of my sons overlap. Ira continues to be a complete joy. He is a happy, happy baby. Everyone loves his big blue eyes and he receives lots of compliments. Ira is a cuddle, in fact, I can easily declare him to be my most snuggly baby of all time. What a way to close out the baby years! I love when his head rests on my shoulder and he tucks his little arms down by his side. Ira gives big, slobbery kisses, first to me and now he will kiss his siblings and Conor when asked (sometimes). He continues to say, "hi" and "uh-oh" lots and can sign "more." I'd like to teach him some more baby sign language. Ira loves crawling around while holding and pushing a toy vehicle. He loves the dishwasher and bath time. He loves climbing up the stairs and he loves to find Enoch. Ira can stand independently and he's a real show off. He loves getting a laugh. In the last month or so, he has reminded me of Greta when she was a baby. The goofiness and the hair. The snuggly nature. Ira is very easy going, but he will hold his ground if someone (Enoch) is trying to take a toy from him. He'll scream and hold tight! And if Ira feels that he's not getting enough attention at a meal time, he'll scream. Ira loves to eat and is very eager to do so. I can't give something to Enoch without also offering it to Ira. Ira is very good at insisting his needs are met. Often when I'm preparing dinner, he is under my feet or clinging to my ankles. His little voice is adorable - I love to listen to his baby babble. Truly, he is sunshine and light. He outshines the morning son, my son.

I love carousels and I especially love my babies on carousels. We made a quick trip downtown to put Ira on the carousel for his birthday and it was everything I hoped it would be!

While my mom was in town, we celebrated Ira's First Birthday early. It was really fun to have my mom here to do that with us! We invited some of our good friends over. Ira loved having new toys to play with (and so did everyone else, haha). Ira was apprehensive about his cake, but ate some when I cut a couple little slices. Naturally, we sang Happy Birthday to E as well. It's his favorite song and he sings it all the time. I have lots of feelings about Ira turning 1 year old. This past year has flown by and moved at a snails pace. His babyhood is fading. Ira is a darling child and I adore him!

My guys, wearing matching clothes. It's so hard to take photos of these boys right now because they are always on the move! The green chair is on an angle because Ira and E love digging in the dirt of the plant. I'm not even sure why I vacuum it up because they just go back for more!